Responsive Outcome Evaluation as an Internal Quality Assurance Mechanism Alternative at IHLs in Malaysia

Proliferation of higher learning institutions and massification of enrolment in higher education demand quality assurance of academic programs. Institutions of higher learning (IHLs) should be more responsive and routinely take proactive role in quality assurance, in self-evaluating the merit and worth of learning institutions and programs offered to the stakeholders as measures for continuous quality improvement. This can be done by enhancing, complementing and developing IHLs’ internal quality assurance mechanisms. Hence, the first part of this paper will observe the current practice of quality assurance in the IHLs in Malaysia. The second part will further propose and elaborate the development of a responsive program evaluation as a complement to the existing quality assurance mechanisms. In the proposed qualitative and responsive program evaluation, the quality of an academic program is explored from the perspectives of stakeholders. The domains of change are the main reference in the proposed responsive program evaluation. These domains of change focus on knowledge, attitude, skills and aspirations (KASA) and broad indicators of outcomes derived from the program outcomes, course learning outcomes and graduate qualities promised to be catered to the stakeholders. The proposed responsive outcome evaluation as an alternative internal quality assurance mechanism is believed to complement the existing quality assurance mechanisms by including the aspects which relate directly to the stakeholders such as employers and programs graduates. With relevant minor modification, the proposed responsive outcome evaluation could be employed in institutes of higher learning.